Convent

History

The area now known as Convent was originally settled between 1722 and 1739 and called Baron. The town’s name derives from the Convent of the Sacred Heart, established in 1825 by the Religious of the Sacred Heart, who operated a girls’ school until 1932. St. Michael Parish, founded in 1809, is among the oldest Catholic parishes in Louisiana. The present church, built in 1833 and enlarged in the 1870s, features Romanesque and Gothic architectural elements and includes a Lourdes Grotto constructed in 1876. The church and its associated historic district are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Jefferson College, chartered in 1831 and opened in 1834, operated under several names before closing in 1928. The campus was occupied by Union troops during the Civil War and later donated to the Marist Fathers. In 1931, it became the Manresa House of Retreats, a Jesuit retreat center that remains active today. The main building, rebuilt after an 1842 fire, is an example of Greek Revival architecture. The community’s history is closely tied to sugar plantation culture, and records indicate that both the convent and college relied on enslaved labor during the antebellum period. On February 23, 2016, an EF-3 tornado struck the area, causing severe damage at the Sugar Hill RV Park, killing two people and injuring dozens.

Geography

Convent is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River in St. James Parish, Louisiana, at . The census-designated place covers , of which is land and is water. Its average elevation is about above sea level. Convent lies approximately west of New Orleans and southeast of Baton Rouge, accessible via Louisiana Highway 44 and Louisiana Highway 3125. The area has a humid subtropical climate, typical of southern Louisiana.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Lutcher High School
  High · Lutcher · 1,043 students · 16:1 ratio
• Paulina Elementary School
  Elementary · Paulina · 774 students · 15.2:1 ratio
• St. James High School
  High · Vacherie · 634 students · 13.5:1 ratio
• Gramercy Elementary School
  Middle · Gramercy · 410 students · 14.6:1 ratio
• Vacherie Elementary School
  Elementary · Vacherie · 386 students · 13.3:1 ratio
• Sixth Ward Elementary School
  Middle · Vacherie · 290 students · 12.1:1 ratio